Wine for beginners: the main grape varieties, what they taste like and where to start

A few words worth knowing

• Body: how heavy the wine feels in your mouth, like the difference between skimmed and whole milk.
• Acidity: the mouth-watering, refreshing quality; high-acid wines feel crisp.
• Tannin: the drying, grippy feeling in red wine, from grape skins, seeds and sometimes oak. Like strong black tea.
• Dry: not sweet. Most wine is dry, even when it tastes fruity.

White grapes

• Sauvignon Blanc: crisp and zesty, with citrus, green apple, gooseberry or freshly cut grass. Light to medium body.
• Chardonnay: comes in very different styles. Unoaked versions are crisp with apple and lemon; oaked versions are fuller with butter, vanilla and toast.
• Riesling: highly aromatic, with lime, green apple, peach and flowers, and high acidity. Made anywhere from bone dry to very sweet, so check the label or ask.
• Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris: the same grape. Often light, neutral and refreshing as Pinot Grigio; often richer and rounder as Pinot Gris.
• Chenin Blanc: apple, pear and honey, with good acidity; made dry, off-dry, sweet and sparkling.

Red grapes

• Pinot Noir: light-bodied with soft tannins, red cherry, raspberry and earthy notes. A good first red for people who dislike heavy wines.
• Merlot: medium to full body, soft and round, plum and chocolate. Easy-going.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: full-bodied with firm tannins, blackcurrant, cedar and sometimes mint. Pairs well with food.
• Syrah / Shiraz: the same grape. Dark fruit, pepper and spice; often bolder and riper when labelled Shiraz.
• Grenache / Garnacha: red fruit, spice, often generous alcohol and soft tannins.
• Tempranillo: cherry, leather and tobacco; the main grape of Rioja.

Rosé, sparkling and sweet

• Rosé is usually made from red grapes with brief skin contact, giving colour and light red-fruit flavour. Most is dry.
• Sparkling wine ranges from Champagne and other traditional-method wines, with toasty, bready notes, to lighter, fruitier styles like Prosecco.
• Sweet and fortified wines (such as dessert wines, port and sherry) are a world of their own; sherry, notably, is often bone dry.

How to start exploring

1. Taste side by side. Open two contrasting bottles with friends, such as a Sauvignon Blanc and an oaked Chardonnay, or a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Differences are far easier to notice in comparison.
2. Keep notes. Write the grape, the place and one line on whether you liked it and why. Patterns appear quickly.
3. Explore by neighbour. If you love one wine, ask for something similar from another country, or the same grape from a cooler or warmer place.
4. Ask in the shop. Tell staff what you liked and your budget; that is exactly what they are there for.
5. Do not trust price as a guide to taste. Plenty of modest bottles are delicious, and liking a wine is the only test that counts.

A note on drinking